VOX Box: Call to Action
Characters * Scar * Dennap * Krona * Appa Ali Apsa * Sayd * Ganthet * Herupa Hando Hu Location * Oa, Sector Prime * December 27th 2003, 1927 Universal Time VOX Archive * Appa Ali Apsa: I appreciate all of you coming on short notice. * Herupa Hando Hu: What is this about, Appa? * Krona: Vril-Dox. * Herupa Hando Hu: Vril-Dox? Wait, isn't that the- * Dennap: Rogue Kryptonian Artificial Intelligence? Yes. * Herupa Hando Hu: I thought he fled to Cooperative space... or was it Apokalyptan space? * Scar: It doesn't matter. he's returned... sigh We should have destroyed him when we had the chance! * Appa Ali Apsa: Revisiting that matter is not an option for this discussion, Scar. We need to focus on the present. * Herupa Hando Hu: Why has he returned? Do we know? * Krona: His fleet has set a course for Sector 2814. * Dennap: What's of significance there? * Ganthet: Earth. * Dennap: Earth? * Sayd: The site of the advent of the Blackest Night. * Dennap: I know of the planet, Sayd... but its population is still centuries from interstellar travel. Why target it? * Sayd: There are actually many interesting reports coming from Earth as of late. * Ganthet: We also recently admitted an Earthling to the Corps. * Krona: What? An Earthling? * Appa Ali Apsa: Ganthet speaks the truth. Sinestro's replacement... * Krona: Oh, yes... Abin Sur's experiment. sigh How could I forget that disappointment- * Sayd: Disappointment? Surely you jest, Krona... Lantern Stewart's instructors give him high marks- * Appa Ali Apsa: High marks? I would not praise him so highly. I seem to recall Lantern Tui calling him 'uninspired'. * Ganthet: Yes, but Katma's report also cited his constructs among the most solid and powerful she's seen. When is the last time any of us recall seeing an instructor filing such a qualification on a novice's review? * Krona: scoff No matter... We are becoming sidetracked. We should return to the issue of Vril-Dox. * Herupa Hando Hu: Surely his fleet cannot withstand the might of the Corps. I say mobilize all nearby Lanterns to intercept. * Appa Ali Apsa: I have already issued that command, but there's likely to be too few to stop his advance. * Herupa Hando Hu: So we stall his fleet until more reinforcements arrive. * Scar: Even if we form a blockade, I doubt we'll have the means to impede his fleet's flagship. * Dennap: Is this how the Blackest Night begins? * Appa Ali Apsa: No... I do not think that is the case, Dennap. There has not yet been a reunion of the spectrum. * Herupa Hando Hu: So if we cannot stop him, what other option is there? * Krona: What makes this Earth a target worth risking a return to the Corps' systems after all this time? * Dennap: I agree with Krona. What do we know of this primitive planet? * Ganthet: It actually has a considerably rich history and many features worth noting. For instance, eons ago- * Krona: Ganthet, we don't need a history lesson on this backwards moon and its primates. Just tell the council! * Sayd: What Ganthet is saying is there are actually many reasons to take interest in Earth. * Ganthet: Something I have tried telling the council in the past. * Appa Ali Apsa: I already told Scar to let go of the past and would give you the same counsel now, Ganthet. * Herupa Hando Hu: Appa, if I may, my memory could use a little refresher... Ganthet, my friend, might I get an example? What matters have you brought before the council before that might factor into Vril-Dox's return? * Ganthet: sigh The vast majority of the sentient population of Earth, Terrans, are genetically similar to both Kherans and Kryptonians. There is also a failed Kryptonian colony ship that was recently activated after thousands of years of dormancy. * Dennap: Is this ship space-worthy? * Ganthet: No. I don't believe so... * Dennap: And it's thousands of years old? So it would not contain any Kryptonian knowledge Vril-Dox does not already possess. Then I cannot see how that would be of any interest to his fleet. * Sayd: Maybe it is not a matter of what the ship contains, but rather 'who'. * Appa Ali Apsa: Interesting theory, Sayd... Please, carry on. * Sayd: It's possible that the colony has Kryptonian colonists who survived the failed colony. Kryptonians had incredible cryogenic technology going back tens of thousands of years. It has long been speculated that Vril-Dox's motives may stem from some sort of xenocidal impulse to destroy his Kryptonian creators. * Krona: Who activated this vessel? Do we know that? * Sayd: Ganthet? * Ganthet: No, unfortunately... but if I were to pose a guess, I don't think it was a suspended Kryptonian that's been asleep all this time. I think it's a survivor of Krypton's destruction. * Appa Ali Apsa: You think there's a Daxamite on Earth? * Ganthet: Not a Daxamite. I think there's a Kryptonian refugee, maybe several, who escaped the xenocide of their people and chosen to hide in plain sight, living among Earth's terran population. * Krona: chuckle That's absurd... Vril-Dox seized control of the entire Kryptonian fleet... a fleet that posed considerable challenge for the entire Lantern Corps, I'll remind you. No way a ship escaped Krypton. * Appa Ali Apsa: Hmm... Very good points, Krona. Thank you. Ganthet? * Ganthet: A small ship with nothing but life support systems, engines, and a nav-computer could have avoided detection. If the ship was built specifically without any systems connected to the Kryptonian network, then Vril-Dox would likely have no way to detect it. * Dennap: There is also the matter of Kryptonians not having interstellar travel. Vril-Dox had to retrofit the fleet after Krypton's destruction. How would any survivors be able to get from Krypton to this Earth? * Ganthet: They had the technology of FTL travel, they simply didn't employ it on religious grounds. * Herupa Hando Hu: I don't know, Ganthet... Who would have the foresight to fear Vril-Dox, the heretical inclinations to oppose Kryptonian theological restrictions, and the resources and knowledge to engineer such a ship? * Ganthet: The House of El. * Scar: Oh, now that is an interesting theory... I do recall they both created and later condemned Vril-Dox. * Appa Ali Apsa: Hmm... Yes, the Els were known to produce many of their world's greatest engineers. * Sayd: And being among Krypton's nobility, were not likely to be Raoists. * Krona: Yes, well... it is an interesting conspiracy theory. But what evidence is there that an El survived? * Ganthet: screentap Computer, display all image files tagged with markers 'Earth' and 'Superman'. * Appa Ali Apsa: 6 instances Wait, Ganthet... Is that terran wearing the crest of the House of El? * Ganthet: Indeed... Council, might I introduce you to Kal-El, son of Jor-El, or as he is more commonly known among the population of Earth: Superman. He made his first public appearance shortly after we caught the signal from the ancient Kryptonian vessel. * Herupa Hando Hu: Wait, is he- Is he flying there? Can... Kryptonians can fly? * Ganthet: Under the yellow light of Star-2814? Yes, Kryptonians can fly. In fact, he can do much more than that. * Appa Ali Apsa: Perhaps this Earth is worth closer scrutiny... * Scar: That's assuming it survives Vril-Dox. * Appa Ali Apsa: Yes, indeed... * Ganthet: We can withdraw our blockade and reroute a large number of Lanterns of Sector 2814. If we do that, appeal to the Martians and Saturnians, and send Lanterns Sur and Stewart to rally Earth's defenses- * Krona: Earth's defenses? * Ganthet: Yes, they have ballistic weaponry capable of delivering nuclear munitions into orbit- Look, the point is that we have a chance to end Vril-Dox's reign of terror in one decisive battle. Why not act on this? * Dennap: And expose ourselves to Earth's primitive population? Absolutely not, Ganthet! * Sayd: Then we intercept the fleet in Sector 2814 without the aid of Earth's military. * Appa Ali Apsa: I fear that would still expose us to Earth's satellite technology. * Dennap: I agree, Appa. We should deal with Vril-Dox once the fleet's invasion of Earth has concluded. * Sayd: Billions of sentient lives would be lost! * Appa Ali Apsa: Billions of lifeforms across the galaxy have died in the course of this conversation, Sayd. What of it? If Earth must perish to give us an incredible chance at destroying the threat of Vril-Dox, then so be it. * Sayd: So that's it? Earth is bait now? What of the Blackest Night? * Krona: If the prophecy is true, then the planet is all that must survive. The prophecy says nothing of terrans. Once Vril-Dox has finished incapacitating the populace, we can intervene before Earth's destruction. * Herupa Hando Hu: That sounds... grim, but what other choice do we have? * Sayd: What other choice? Any other! We're Guardians of the Universe! We cannot abide xenocide! * Appa Ali Apsa: By destroying Vril-Dox, we're not abiding xenocide. We're allowing one xenocide to occur to prevent countless future xenocides from being carried out. Certainly you can see the wisdom in this, Sayd. * Sayd: I do not. * Ganthet: Nor do I. I contest this decision and I ask that we call this matter to an official vote of dissent. * Appa Ali Apsa: You contest my decision, Ganthet? * Ganthet: I do. * Appa Ali Apsa: That is why you do not wear the emerald robes as I. You lack the conviction to do what must be done. But so be it... Council, there are those among us who object to our decision. If there are others who may agree, please let it be known now. Herupa, how do you vote? With the council or against it? * Herupa Hando Hu: I vote with the council. * Appa Ali Apsa: Ganthet, please record your dissent for the record. * Ganthet: I, Ganthet, wish for my dissent to be recorded. * Appa Ali Apsa: Noted. Sayd, how do you vote? * Sayd: I vote in opposition to the council. * Krona: scoff No surprise there. * Appa Ali Apsa: Krona, please abstain from speaking out of turn during a collection of votes. Now, uh, as Councilor of Courage, I, Appa Ali Apsa vote in support of the council. Krona? * Krona: I vote with the council. * Appa Ali Apsa: Dennap? * Dennap: While I admire Councilors Sayd and Ganthet for sharing their concerns, I cannot in good conscience allow us to jeopardize this opportunity to destroy Vril-Dox for once and all. We must do what we must. I vote with the council. * Appa Ali Apsa: Excellent. Finally, Scar? * Scar: I vote with the council. * Appa Ali Apsa: Then the matter has been resolved. * Ganthet: scoff There is blood on all of your hands. You realize this? You have doomed an entire planet's people. All of its culture, history, and philosophy will be for naught. * Krona: The sacrifice of terrans will not be in vain. We'll find a way to honor them. A monument, perhaps? * Sayd: All is not lost, Ganthet. There is still hope. * Ganthet: Maybe not for us or the Corps, but for the Terrans of Earth? * Sayd: Look to the holo-stills you showed us. The sigil this one wears on his chest means "hope". * Ganthet: I hope the Els were right then... because he might be Earth's only hope now. Trivia and Notes * Debut of the Guardians of the Universe. * The Council's decision to not interfere explains why the Lantern Corps did not aid in defending Earth during Brainiac's Invasion. Links and References * VOX Box: Call to Action Category:VOX Box Category:Scar/Appearances Category:Dennap/Appearances Category:Krona/Appearances Category:Appa Ali Apsa/Appearances Category:Sayd/Appearances Category:Ganthet/Appearances Category:Herupa Hando Hu/Appearances Category:Guardians of the Universe/Appearances Category:Oa/Appearances